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US-Israel War on Iran Escalates: Intense Airstrikes, Civilian Toll, and Strait of Hormuz MinedStrait of Hormuz Crisis: Iran Lays Mines, Oil Shipping Halts, and Global Energy Prices SurgeIran Warns of 'Long War' as Oil Surges Past $100 Amid Gulf AttacksTrump Predicts Iran War Will End 'Soon' as Dubai Airport Hit in Drone AttackStrait of Hormuz Under Siege: Iran's Escalation Drives Oil to $100 Amid US-Iran WarUN Declares Russia's Deportation of Ukrainian Children a Crime Against HumanityTrump Lifts Russia Oil Sanctions to Help Oil Flow Amid Iran WarIsrael Launches Devastating Strikes on Beirut in Expanding Lebanon CampaignIran War Reshaping Strait of Hormuz: Global Energy Security at Critical JunctureIran Dismisses Trump's Ceasefire Claim as Dubai Airport Erupts in Drone-Strike FireNATO Deploys Maritime Strike Group to Strait of Hormuz Amid Iran StandoffChina Conducts Largest Military Exercises Near Taiwan Since 2022Iran Declares Ukraine a 'Legitimate Target' as Kyiv Sends Drone Experts to GulfEurope and NATO Reject Trump's Hormuz Coalition: 'This Is Not Our War'Iran Declares Ukraine a 'Legitimate Target' as Kyiv Sends Drone Experts to GulfTrump Extends Hormuz Deadline as US-Iran Impasse DeepensRussia Unleashes Massive Spring Offensive as Iran War Diverts US FocusUS Deploys 82nd Airborne to Middle East as Iran War EscalatesG7 Ministers Confront Dual Wars in Iran and Ukraine Amidst Deepening DivisionsIran War Triggers Worst Global Trade Rupture in 80 YearsMiddle East War Shows No Signs of Winding Down as International Norms UpendedUS-Iran Ceasefire Talks Collapse: US Navy Blockades Iranian Ports as Fragile Truce HoldsIsrael Escalates Lebanon Campaign as Ceasefire Excludes Hezbollah Ahead of Washington TalksUS-Israel War on Iran Escalates: Intense Airstrikes, Civilian Toll, and Strait of Hormuz MinedStrait of Hormuz Crisis: Iran Lays Mines, Oil Shipping Halts, and Global Energy Prices SurgeIran Warns of 'Long War' as Oil Surges Past $100 Amid Gulf AttacksTrump Predicts Iran War Will End 'Soon' as Dubai Airport Hit in Drone AttackStrait of Hormuz Under Siege: Iran's Escalation Drives Oil to $100 Amid US-Iran WarUN Declares Russia's Deportation of Ukrainian Children a Crime Against HumanityTrump Lifts Russia Oil Sanctions to Help Oil Flow Amid Iran WarIsrael Launches Devastating Strikes on Beirut in Expanding Lebanon CampaignIran War Reshaping Strait of Hormuz: Global Energy Security at Critical JunctureIran Dismisses Trump's Ceasefire Claim as Dubai Airport Erupts in Drone-Strike FireNATO Deploys Maritime Strike Group to Strait of Hormuz Amid Iran StandoffChina Conducts Largest Military Exercises Near Taiwan Since 2022Iran Declares Ukraine a 'Legitimate Target' as Kyiv Sends Drone Experts to GulfEurope and NATO Reject Trump's Hormuz Coalition: 'This Is Not Our War'Iran Declares Ukraine a 'Legitimate Target' as Kyiv Sends Drone Experts to GulfTrump Extends Hormuz Deadline as US-Iran Impasse DeepensRussia Unleashes Massive Spring Offensive as Iran War Diverts US FocusUS Deploys 82nd Airborne to Middle East as Iran War EscalatesG7 Ministers Confront Dual Wars in Iran and Ukraine Amidst Deepening DivisionsIran War Triggers Worst Global Trade Rupture in 80 YearsMiddle East War Shows No Signs of Winding Down as International Norms UpendedUS-Iran Ceasefire Talks Collapse: US Navy Blockades Iranian Ports as Fragile Truce HoldsIsrael Escalates Lebanon Campaign as Ceasefire Excludes Hezbollah Ahead of Washington Talks
Viktor Petrov

Viktor Petrov

Eastern Europe Bureau Chief

Kyiv, Ukraine

Viktor Petrov has covered the post-Soviet space for over fifteen years, reporting from Kyiv, Moscow, Tbilisi, and the front lines of the Donbas. Born in Riga, Latvia, he brings a unique perspective to the geopolitics of Eastern Europe and Russia's military ambitions. His investigative work on Russian information warfare and military logistics has been cited by the European Parliament and the Atlantic Council. He leads The Conflict Desk's Eastern Europe bureau.

7 articles published

Reports by Viktor Petrov

Ukrainian soldiers gathered around an Orthodox Easter service in a frozen forest clearing
Europe

Ukraine and Russia Accuse Each Other of Breaching Easter Ceasefire as War Enters Fifth Year

2026-04-137 min read
A Ukrainian city skyline at night, illuminated by explosions from a Russian drone and missile attack.
Europe

Russia Unleashes Massive Spring Offensive as Iran War Diverts US Focus

2026-03-275 min read
Ukrainian military specialists examine the wreckage of an Iranian-designed drone
Europe

Iran Declares Ukraine a 'Legitimate Target' as Kyiv Sends Drone Experts to Gulf

2026-03-187 min read
Shahed-136 drone, the type of Iranian-made UAV central to the Iran-Ukraine tensions
Middle East

Iran Declares Ukraine a 'Legitimate Target' as Kyiv Sends Drone Experts to Gulf

2026-03-178 min read
Ukrainian civilians flee destroyed neighborhoods as the war enters its fifth year, marking the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Europe

Ukraine War Timeline: From 2014 to 2026 — A Complete History

2026-03-1612 min read
Venezuelan security forces, once instruments of Maduro's control, continue to operate amid calls for institutional reform.
Political Instability

Venezuela's Repressive Apparatus Endures Post-Maduro: A Warning for Intervention

2026-03-136 min read
Aftermath of Russian bombing of Mariupol, Ukraine showing destroyed buildings
Europe

Ukraine-Russia War Update: Ceasefire Talks Stall as Iran War Shifts Global Focus

2026-03-089 min read

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